Age-related macular degeneration, known as AMD, is a leading cause of vision loss and blindness for Americans over 50. There’s no cure. The image below gives you an idea of what a scene — two small boys holding balls — might look like to someone with the disease. “People (with AMD) are suffering. Everywhere you look, there’s a blurry spot in the center,” said Dr. Aaron Lee, a University of Washington opthamologist and assistant professor who specializes in problems of the retina.
Lee believes AI can help — not just people with AMD, but those with eye diseases that cause vision loss. GPU-accelerated deep learning may be able to detect signs of disease that doctors miss, or speed diagnosis so doctors can start treatments sooner, he said. He’s already developed deep learning algorithms that spot AMD and macular edema, a condition that damages central vision.
